CA3037792A1

CA3037792A1 - Method for the automated filling of a bin with objects by means of a robot hand

Info

Publication number: CA3037792A1
Application number: CA3037792A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Jerome Grosbois
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-09-28
Filing date: 2017-09-18
Publication date: 2018-04-05
Also published as: WO2018059977A1; KR20190053850A; CN109789940B; KR102444067B1; CN109789940A; JP7026102B2; EP3519306B1; JP2019529128A; EP3519306A1

Abstract

Afin de réaliser le remplissage automatisé d'un bac d'objets à l'aide d'un préhenseur, au moins une image numérique du bac vide est obtenue, et la conformité du bac est automatiquement vérifiée au moyen de toute image. Si le bac est jugé conforme, la méthode de remplissage est exécutée par le préhenseur; sinon, le bac est remplacé par un nouveau bac; et/ou la suite d'étapes suivante est réalisée de manière automatique et répétée : a) un objet est positionné dans le bac au moyen du préhenseur, dans une position définie par un plan de remplissage; b) au moins une image numérique du bac contenant au moins un objet est obtenue; c) l'image est automatiquement vérifiée pour déterminer si tout objet à l'étape a) a été positionné correctement. Si c'est le cas, l'étape suivante est exécutée; sinon, l'objet mal positionné est retiré par le préhenseur, et la méthode reprend de l'étape a) avec le même objet.

Description

METHOD FOR THE AUTOMATED FILLING OF A BIN WITH
OBJECTS BY MEANS OF A ROBOT HAND
Technical field The present invention relates to a new method for the automated filling of a bin with objects, using a robot hand. It is applicable in any type of industry and/or any type of application in which there is a need to arrange objects automatically in a bin, for example for storage and/or transport thereof. The invention applies to ail types of objects. Limitingly and non-exhaustively with respect to the invention, the objects may for example be mechanical parts, packets, boxes, packages, etc.
Prior art It has already been proposed, for example in American patent application US
2010/0222915 and in American patent US 6,055,462 and US 8,644,984, to use a robot hand, controlled automatically, to pick up stackable objects one by one on a conveyor belt, and for example stackable boxes, and to stack them automatically on top of one another on a pallet, i.e., on a flat support not having any vertical side wall.
The technical solutions described in these publications are suitable for the automated palletizing of stackable objects, according to a predefined palletization plan, but are not provided for automated filling with objects of a bin including at least one vertical side wall.
It has also been proposed, for example in American patent US 9,067,744, to use a robot hand, controlled automatically, for the automated stacking of objects, and for example parcels, in a bin mounted on casters to form a trolley. In this publication, this bin more particularly includes a bottom wall and three vertical side walls.
It has also been proposed in American patent US 7,644,558 to use a robot hand for the automated and iterative stacking of objects in a bin.
In the case of automated filling of a bin with stackable or non-stackable objects, it is a regular occurrence for at least one of the vertical side walls of the bin to be damaged or deformed enough that it is not possible to fill the bin with objects by carrying out the filling plan of the bin fully.
In this case, the automated filling procedure of the bin with objects must be interrupted prematurely, before the filling plan of the bin is completed, and in practice an operator is forced to intervene to unload said bin manually and replace it with a bin in good condition, before relaunching the automated filling procedure.

2 In the case of automated filling of a bin with stackable or non-stackable objects, it is also a regular occurrence for a part to be positioned incorrectly, and to disrupt the filling of the following parts by preventing the bin from being filled and carrying out the filling plan of the bin fully.
In this case, the automated filling procedure of the bin with objects must also be interrupted prematurely, before the filling plan of the bin is completed, and in practice an operator is forced to intervene manually, before relaunching the automated filling procedure.
Aim of the invention According to a first aspect, the aim of the invention is to propose a new method for automated loading of a bin with objects, using a robot hand, which offsets the aforementioned drawback related to implementing a bin flot suitable for complete loading, and in particular a bin that may be damaged or deformed.
According to a second aspect, one aim of the invention is to propose a new method for automated filling of a bin with objects, using a robot hand, which makes it possible at least to offset the aforementioned drawback resulting from incorrect positioning of an object in the bin.
Brief description of the invention The invention thus relates to a first method for automated filling of a bin with objects using a robot hand. According to the invention, at least one digital image of the empty bin is acquired, the compliance of the bin is automatically verified using the at least one digital image of the bin and if the bin is compliant, the bin-filling method is performed by the robot hand, and if flot, the bin is replaced with a new bin.
Owing to the invention, when the bin is flot compliant and is flot suitable, for example because it is damaged or deformed, lost time is avoided by avoiding needlessly beginning partial filling of said unsuitable bin.
The invention also relates to a second method for automated filling of a bin with objects using a robot hand, characterized in that the following succession of steps is carried out in an automatic and repeated manner:
(a) an object is positioned in the bin by means of the robot hand, in a position defined by a bin-filling plan, (b) at least one digital image of the bin containing at least one object is acquired, (c) it is automatically verified, in the at least one digital image obtained in the previous step, whether the object positioned in step (a) is correctly positioned; if it is, the

3 subsequent step is carried out, and if not, the badly positioned object is removed by the robot hand (3) and the method is repeated at step (a) with the same object.
In the context of the invention, the term "bin" must be understood in its broadest meaning. In particular, the bin may have any geometry, the invention not being limited to parallelepiped and in particular cubic bins. The bin may have larger or smaller dimensions depending on the fields of application, and non-limitingly and non-exhaustively with respect to the invention may be a tub, a bin, a container, etc. The component material(s) of the bin are irrelevant with respect to the invention.
In the context of the invention, the term "object" must be understood in its broadest meaning. In the context of the invention, and non-limitingly and non-exhaustively with respect to the invention, an object may be in one piece or made up of an assembly of parts; an object may for example be a mechanical part, a parcel, a packet, an empty or filled box, a package, etc.
The invention also relates to an automated filling system including a robot hand, and a sensor allowing the acquisition of at least one digital image of an empty bin or a bin containing at least one object, and an electronic control device that is designed to steer the robot hand, so as to carry out the first and/or second aforementioned filling method.
The invention also relates to a computer program product comprising program code instructions and designed, when it is executed by electronic control means of a robot hand, to acquire at least one digital image of an empty bin, automatically verify the compliance of the bin by using the at least one digital image of the bin, and if the bin is compliant, continue the filling by means of the robot hand, and if not, stop the filling of the bin.
The invention also relates to a computer program product comprising program code instructions and designed, when it is executed by electronic control means of a robot hand, to automatically control said robot hand so as to carry out at least the steps of the aforementioned second filling method.
Brief description of the figures Other features and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly upon reading the following detailed description of one particular alternative embodinnent of the invention, this particular alternative embodiment being described as a non-limiting and non-exhaustive example of the invention and in reference to the appended drawings, in which:
- figure 1 is a schematic overview of a system for filling a bin with parts conveyed by a conveyor, - figure 2 is an isometric view of one particular example of an empty bin,

4 -figure 3 is an isometric view of a stack of parts resulting from the implementation of a predefined bin filling plan, - figure 4 is an isometric view of the bin of figure 2, once the latter has been filled with parts, - figure 5 is a flowchart showing the main successive steps of an automatic compliance verification routine for an empty bin, -figure 6 is a flowchart showing the main successive steps of a routine for automatic filling of the bin using a robot hand of the filling system of figure 1, -figure 7 is a top view of an example noncompliant bin, one vertical wall of which is deformed.
Detailed description In reference to the specific variant embodiment of the filling system of figure 1, stackable objects 1, in the case at hand in this particular example mechanical parts, are conveyed by a conveyor 2 to a filling station connprising a bin 4. A robot hand 3, including an articulated arm 30 that is equipped at its end with a gripping member 31, is used to automatically pick up the objects 1 one by one on the conveyor 2, and to successively deposit them in the bin 4 according to a filling plan.
In this example of figure 1, the objects 1 are ail identical. ln another alternative, they could be different.
In reference to figure 3, in this particular example and non-limitingly with respect to the invention, the filling plan is defined such that when it is executed fully, a stack of five layers L1 to L5 of objects 1 is formed, each layer L1 to L5 including twelve objects 1 juxtaposed in the form of a row R, of three objects 1 and a column Cj of four objects 1. This filling plan is for example made up of a list of layers L1 ta L5 associating, with each layer Lk, its position in terms of height in the stack, and the row R, and column C, of each abject 1 in the layer Lk.
Figure 4 shows a bin 4 filled with objects 1, which have been stacked in said bin 4, following said filling plan to obtain a stack of objects according to that of figure 3.
In reference to figure 2, the bin 4 is open in the upper part to allow it to be filled. it includes a bottom wall 40 and vertical walls 41 that delimit a filling volume V.
The robot hand 3 is controlled automatically by the electronic contrai device

5, which allows automatic steering of the movements of the articulated arm 30 and contrai of the gripping member 31, by executing a filling computer program, which is for example stored in an electronic memory of said device 5.

The filling system further includes a contactless sensor 6, which makes it possible to acquire, in top view, at least one 2D or 3D digital image of the bin 4 (empty or containing objects 1) positioned in the filling station. This 2D or 3D image of the bin 4 (empty or containing objects 1) is sent to the electronic control device 5, by wired connection or by wireless communication.
5 In one alternative, the system may include several sensors 6, for example making it possible to acquire 2D or 3D images of the bin with different viewing angles.
In one alternative, the system may also include means making it possible to reconstitute, by stereovision, a three-dimensional image of the bin 4, from two or more 2D images acquired by sensors

6.
In the context of the invention, different types of sensors 6 can be implemented. Non-limitingly and non-exhaustively with respect to the invention, the sensor 6 may for example be:
- a camera, for example of the CCD type or the like;
- a digitization sensor making it possible to acquire an image of the bin 4 (empty or containing objects 1) in the form of a cloud of 3D dots; for example the sensor 6 includes a camera, for example of the CCD type or the like, combined with a light source of the laser type scanning the surface of the bin 4 (empty or containing objects 1), the camera making it possible to capture the light beam reflected by the surface of the bin and if applicable objects placed in the field of the camera;
- a sensor or set of sensors operating by telemetry and using a laser, ultrasound, microwave, etc. source.
One particular example of a filling program and its implementation for filling a bin 4 with objects 1 will now be outlined in reference to the flowcharts of figures 5 and 6.
An operator positions an empty bin 4 below the sensor 6 and launches the automated filling procedure.
When the automated filling procedure is launched, the electronic control device 5 begins .. by executing the initial verification routine of figure 5.
In reference to this figure 5, when the initial verification routine is started, the electronic control device 5 triggers an acquisition by the sensor 6 of a digital image of the empty bin 4 (step 50), said image being sent to the electronic control device 5.
Next, the control device 5 automatically verifies (step 51) whether the bin 4 is compliant by using said digital image of the bin.
More particularly, this verification is preferably done by automatically simulating a predefined filling plan, using said digital image of the empty bin 4 and a CAD
model of the parti, 50 as to guarantee that ail of the parts 1 of the filling plan (or 60 parts in the example of figures 3 and 4) can be loaded into the bin 4. To that end, the filling plan has for example been stored in a memory of the control device 5.
In another variant, the control device 5 can be programmed to compute this filling plan automatically from a CAD model of the part 1 and a CAD model of the empty bin 4.
In another variant, the control device 5 can be programmed to execute a predefined filling plan stored in a memory of the control device 5, and if applicable to modify this filling plan dynamically during the filling method of the bin, for example so as to optimize the filling of the bin automatically.
In another variant, the compliance of the bin 4 may also be verified automatically by .. comparing the digital image of the empty bin 4, acquired in step 50, with a CAD digital model of the empty bin, stored in memory of the electronic control device 5.
If the bin 4 is detected as not being compliant (test 52), the electronic control device 5 stops the procedure, and warns the operator that the empty bin 4 that has been positioned is not compliant, for example by triggering a visual and/or audio alarm and/or displaying a message on .. a screen.
Figure 7 shows an example of a noncompliant bin 4, one of the vertical walls 41 of which is deformed enough that the bin cannot be filled with the desired number of parts 1, the filling plan not being able to be implemented fully.
The warned operator removes the empty bin 4, which has been detected as .. noncompliant, for example in order to recycle it (step 53), and replaces it with a new empty bin 4 (step 54).
Once the new empty bin 4 has been positioned, the operator relaunches the verification procedure of figure 5.
One thus avoids any lost time by avoiding needlessly starting the filling procedure with a defective bin.
If the bin is compliant (test 52), the electronic control device 5 executes the automated filling routine of figure 6, outlined hereinafter.
When the automated filling routine of figure 6 is launched, the electronic control device 5 automatically locates the position of the empty bin (step 550), for example from the at least one general image acquired using the sensor 6. Alternatively, this step 550 could be eliminated, as long as the empty bin is always systematically positioned precisely in a predefined filling position known by the electronic control device 5.
Next, the electronic control device 5 commands (step 551), in a manner known in itself, the robot 3 such that it grasps a part 1 on the conveyor 2 and positions it in the bin 4, by applying

7 the predefined filling plan stored in mennory or computed automatically by the electronic control device 5.
Next (step 552), the electronic control device 5 uses the sensor 6 to acquire a digital image of the bin 4 containing one or several parts 1, and automatically verifies in said digital image, using the CAD model of the part 1, that the last part 1 that was positioned is positioned correctly.
If flot (test 553), the electronic control device 5 commands the robot 3, such that it grasps this last badly positioned part (step 554), and the operations are repeated until this part is positioned correctly.
If it is (test 553), the last filled part 1 being positioned correctly in the bin 4, the positioning of the next part 1 is digitally simulated (step 555) using, in the image of the bin 4 previously acquired, a CAD digital model of the part 1, and the filling plan stored in memory or computed automatically by the electronic control device 5.
If the result of the simulation is negative (test 556), the following part 1 cannot be filled correctly in the correct position in the bin 4, in which case the electronic control device 5 triggers an alarm (step 557) for the operator, and ends the automated filling procedure prematurely.
If, on the contrary, the result of this simulation is positive (test 556), the electronic control device 5 verifies (test 558) whether the bin 4 is full (for example by having counted the number of parts filled and comparing it to the total number of parts desired in the bin 4).
If the bin 4 is full, it stops the filling procedure, in order to allow the operator to remove the full bin and place a new empty bin 4.
If the bin 4 is flot full, the procedure is resumed automatically in step 551.
The invention is preferably applicable to automated filling of a bin 4 with stacked objects, but may also be implennented for automatic filling of a bin 4 with objects that are flot stacked in the bin, but are for example positioned in interior boxes of the bin for example at a rate of one object per box.
In the example that has been described, the bin 4 includes vertical walls that surround all of the objects 1 filled in the bin over the entire periphery of said set of objects. In another variant, the at least one vertical wall of the bin may surround the set of objects 1 filled in the bin over part of the periphery of said set of objects.
In another variant, the objects are not necessarily brought by a conveyor 2, but may be stored statically (for example in bulk or by being stacked) on a storage area accessible to the robot hand 3.

Claims

8

1. A method for automated filling of a bin with objects (1) using a robot hand (3), characterized in that at least one digital image of the empty bin (4) is acquired, the compliance of the bin is automatically verified using the at least one digital image of the bin and if the bin is compliant, the bin-filling method is performed by the robot hand (3), and if not, the bin is replaced with a new bin.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said automatic verification of the compliance of the bin is done by using the at least one digital image of the bin and digitally simulating a bin filling plan.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, during which the following succession of steps is carried out in an automatic and repeated manner:
(a) an object (1) is positioned in the bin (4) by means of the robot hand (3), in a position defined by a bin-filling plan, (b) at least one digital image of the bin (4) containing at least one object is acquired, (c) it is automatically verified, in the at least one digital image obtained in the previous step, whether the object positioned in step (a) is correctly positioned; if it is, the subsequent step is carried out, and if not, the badly positioned object is removed by the robot hand (3) and the method is repeated at step (a) with the same object.

4. The method according to claim 3, during which an additional step (d) is carried out during which it is digitally verified whether a following object (1) can be positioned in the bin (4) according to the bin filling plan, in particular using a CAD digital model of the object (1); if not, the filling method is stopped, and if so, if the bin is not filled, the method is repeated at step (a) with a new object.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, during which the following succession of steps is carried out in an automatic and repeated manner:
(a) an object (1) is positioned in the bin (4) by means of the robot hand (3), in a position defined by a bin-filling plan, (d) it is digitally verified whether a following object (1) can be positioned in the bin (4) according to the bin filling plan, in particular using a CAD digital model of the object (1); if not, the filling method is stopped, and if so, if the bin is not filled, the method is repeated at step (a) with a new object.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the objects (1) are stacked on one another in the bin (4).

7. An automated filling system including a robot hand (3), a sensor (6) making it possible to acquire at least one digital image of an empty bin or a bin containing at least one object (1), and an electronic control device (5) that is designed to control the robot hand (3), so as to carry out the filling method targeted in any one of the preceding claims.

8. A computer program product comprising program code instructions and designed, when it is executed by electronic control means (5) of a robot hand (3), to acquire at least one digital image of an empty bin (4), automatically verify the compliance of the bin by using the at least one digital image of the bin, and if the bin is compliant, continue the filling by means of the robot hand (3), and if not, stop the filling of the bin (4).

9. The computer program product according to claim 8, designed to perform said automatic verification of the compliance of the bin by using the at least one digital image of the bin and digitally simulating a bin filling plan.

10. The computer program product according to any one of claims 8 or 9, designed to automatically control a robot hand (3) so as to carry out the steps of the filling method of any one of claims 3 to 5.

11. A method for automated filling of a bin with objects (1) by means of a robot hand (3), characterized in that the following succession of steps is carried out in an automatic and repeated manner:
(a) an object (1) is positioned in the bin (4) by means of the robot hand (3), in a position defined by a bin-filling plan, (b) at least one digital image of the bin (4) containing at least one object is acquired, (c) it is automatically verified, in the at least one digital image obtained in the previous step, whether the object positioned in step (a) is correctly positioned; if it is, the subsequent step is carried out, and if not, the badly positioned object is removed by the robot hand (3) and the method is repeated at step (a) with the same object.

12. The method according to claim 11, during which an additional step (d) is carried out during which it is digitally verified whether a following object (1) can be positioned in the bin (4) according to the bin filling plan, in particular using a CAD digital model of the object (1); if not, the filling method is stopped, and if so, if the bin is not filled, the method is repeated of step (a) with a new object.

13. The method according to any one of claims 11 or 12, during which, before step (a), at least one digital image of the empty bin (4) is acquired, the compliance of the bin is verified automatically by using the at least one digital image of the bin, and if the bin is compliant, the method for filling the bin is continued by means of the robot hand (3), and if not, the bin is replaced with a new bin.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said automatic verification of the compliance of the bin is done by using the at least one digital image of the bin and digitally simulating a bin-filling plan.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the objects (1) are stacked on one another in the bin (4).

16. An automated filling system including a robot hand (3), a sensor (6) allowing the acquisition of of least one digital image of an empty bin or a bin containing at least one object (1), and an electronic control device (5) that is designed able to control the robot hand (3), so as to implement the filling method targeted in any one of claims 11 to 15.

17. A computer program product comprising program code instructions and designed, when it is executed by electronic control means (5) of a robot hand (3), to control said robot hand (3) automatically so as to execute at least the steps of the filling method targeted in any one of claims 11 or 12.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, designed, when it is executed by said electronic control means (5) of a robot hand (3), to acquire at least one digital image of an empty bin (4), automatically verify the compliance of the bin by using the at least one digital image of the bin, and if the bin is compliant, continue the filling by means of the robot hand (3), and if not, stop the filling of the bin (4).

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, designed to perform said automatic verification of the compliance of the bin by using the at least one digital image of the bin and digitally simulating a bin filling plan.